Paper: What Counts Most LNG Technology Or Politics And P.R. Hype

LNS is simply natural gas condensed by refrigeration to a liquid -260 degrees F, a super cold or cryogenic liquid. As long as it is kept cold, it can be stored or transported like any other liquid. It is clear, colorless, odorless - in appearance not unlike club soda. Its density is about half that of gasoline and upon combustion it provides about half as much energy as gasoline. Godfrey L. Cabot, founder of the parent corporation of Distrigas, saw the advantages of liquefying natural gas for transportation as a liquid to areas not served by pipelines and he obtained a patent from the U.S. Patent Office in 1915. However, it was many years before Dr. Cabot's idea became commercially significant. The development of the LNG industry took two distinct paths: one in the United States as a peak having gas supply and the other in Europe and Japan as a baseload gas supply. Let's look at the history and see what these terms mean.